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Reissued Sept. 14, 1920.

A. L. FRANKEBENGER.

BANANA HEATER AND RIPENER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26, 1918.

ALBERT LESLIE FRANKEBERGER, or BLOOMINGTON, NOISY SPECIALTY- MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or

CORPORATION. v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALB RT LESLIE.

FRANKEBERGER' a citizen of the United 7 States, .residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Banana Heaters and Ripene ers, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to an improvement in banana heaters and .ripeners.

The object is to provide an appliance of the character mentioned, designed and pref erably to be suspended from the wall,--for the discharge and circulation of heated air in the upper part of a room, so that .anapproximately uniform and equal distribution and circulation of warm air down through the bananas is provided.

It consists in an outer chamber in the lower end of which a heat is generated and through the restricted upper end of which the heated air circulates and from which it is discharged, there being a window at some intermediate point in the neighborhoodof the heat generator for radiating the light.

The accompanying drawing is a view in perspective.

A is a heating chamber, and l is a flat, narrow flue which rises therefrom, and is preferably adapted to rest flat against a wall where it may be held by wall brackets 2.

The upper discharge end 3 of flue l, preferably curves over from a vertical to a horizontal position, whereby to discharge and circulate the heated air at a point above the top of the bananas, so that the warm or heated air upon dropping will pass over and down through the bananas hung in the room, thus ripening them.

In the heating chamber, there are preferably three ordinary gas-burners 4, arranged centrally of the chamber, which is left entirely open at the bottom, as at 8, in order that the incoming air mayv circulate freely around the burners, thereby greatly increasing the efliciency of the heater. A door 5 opens into the side of the chamber, whereby to light the gas burners 4. In the sloping front 6 mica or other transparent win dows 7 are provided for lighting the banana room, so that the gas or other jets serve the double purpose of heating and circulating the air, and also of lighting or illuminating the room.-

BANANA EA ER AND RIPENER.

Specification tr Reissued Letterslatent. Ri i d e t 14 1 2g Original No. 1,232,270, dated July. 3, 1917, Serial No. 99,183, filed. May 22, 1916.

v 1 I filed October 26, 1918. Serial No. 259,373.-

A test of the work of the apparatus has shown that'the temperature of the top of the room in which my improved heater has been placed was 74 degrees, while at the location. of the lower end of the bunch of bananas, it was 68 de rees, and the'floor' was 54 degrees Fahr. hus, the cold damp air is taken from the bottom of the room, heated,'and then passed up over and discharged upon the top of the bananas. It has been found that one heaterof suitable ILLINOIS, As'srenoa 'ro rim} nna: COUNTY, inrnvors, A 2

Application for reissue I size is required for about one thousand cubic feet of air. I

The heateris' preferably so placed that the top or upper discharge end 3, is about eighteen inches above the top of the bananas, and the bottom of the heater is adapted to be the same height from the floor as the lower end of the bunch of bananas suspended in the room.

Thus, I produce an efiicient appliance which has met the requirements of the fire regulations as well as proven satisfactory for the primary purpose for which it was designed.

Having claim 1. A banana heater and ripener, ing a chamber entirely open at the bottom thereof and burners, a door communicating with said chamber and a comparatively thin flat flue extending vertically and having a horizontal discharge upper end, the front wall sloping from the heating chamber of the flue, but having transparent means therein for transmitting light from the .burners within the heating chamber, and brackets attached to the vertical flue for fastening the heater upon the side wall of a room intermediate of the floor and ceiling.

2. In a unitary gas heater, comprising an inclo'sed heating chamber entirely open at the bottom thereof, and provided with heat burners, and a restricted flue extending vertically from the heating chamber, and having a horizontal discharge upper end, the heating chamber being formed with ,a sloping portion .provided with transparent means for transmitting light from the burners within the heating chamber.

3. In a heater having a chamber open at bottom and top, and a gas burner located entirely within the chamber, a flat upright now described my invention, I

comprisprovided with light and heat flue, thin in comparison with the chamber, having one end connected with the top of the chamber and its other end turned laterally to discharge heated air substantially horizontally with greater velocity than it enters the lower end of the heating chamber.

4. In a gas heater in combination, a heating chamber of substantial size having an intake opening, a thin, flat flue relatively small in cross'section in comparison with 1 the heating chamber, having a substantially 1 :provided with an intake opening below the v horizontal. discharge at its upper end, the heating chamber being'provided with an integrally sloping portion extending to the comparatively thin, flat flue, all formed integrally and so arranged as "to provide a clear passage for heated air free of abrupt obstructions. I

5. In a unitary gas heater, a"v heating chamber open at top and bottom, gas burners arranged therein, said chamber being burners and the bottom of the chamber casing, a comparatively thin flat flue formed integrally .with the heating chamber and extending vertically therefrom, and having a substantially horizontally directed discharge atvits upper end whereby the cold air goes through the intake upwardlyiby the gas burners, and the generated heat passes through the discharge to produce a forced circulation in a room.

6. In a unitary gas heater, comprising an inclosed heating chamber, gas burners arranged therein, said chamber being pro-' vided withlan intake opening below the burners, a comparatively thin flat flue of uniform cross-section formed with the heating chamber and extending verticallytherefrom, and h'aving a substantially horizontal discharge at its upper end,

integrally I 

